Internal combustion engine



May 7, 1935. H. c. EDWARDS INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Sept. 12, 1952 1715x5522? 5. Emmaus.

'; Patented May 7,. 1935 v 2 000 28; g ,l I p, p .mmmi oonmvs'r'lon." j I Herhert DetroitfltflchgfaSskriortd Packard Motor Car Compeny, Detroit, Michqs" f 1 j qe em m mm nas-2 1 ;.(Q 7 p 04) ff" l inventionrelstes 3 h s sectionel; viewfot'the crank f; imita es-i Sam-um;

engines" or the compression-ignition typenndit isxipartioularly adapted to use with aircraft en? gines nnd 'other highspeed engines'of this s arranged mauve loads oi: considerable. incl-tie;

such as aircraft propellers. V I I out in Petent No. 1,932,331; .issued Octoberiii, l933,'to'"Lionel M. Woolson,aengines 01' f theabove character are I subject, at the time I oi-si'gn'itiom, to peak pressures of short duration but 0! considerable magnitude which'subjects the. engine psrtsrto'terrifie shock loads that must be taken and transmitted to the driven member;

I such-"x loadsrresult. in direct :eblowsdelivered throughl'theI connecting rod and also-takethef terweights which 'are'pivoted onthe crank: shaft and resiliently connectedto the crank arm exten-.

sion so that they can yield somewhot ond there,- by cushion the piston thrust and the resulting applied torque. system of reducingstresses' generally'adequatebut I have found 'that a. further reduction is required with some types of engines- V\ to obect of thisinventiongis to further reduce engine stressesheyondthat of the application structur by snimprovement therein "wherein the springs nre ajrrangeditohav'e greater deflection, to increase the crank shaft. strength through greater distance between the ends anchorediin the shaft and to increasethe loadwhich they esntakewithout breaking.

"Other objects of the invention will a ippeor fro'm the following description taken in connection ith the drawing, which forms -a, part of this specification; and-in which: I ,g h ig. lisolongitudinal section through a porvtion of the compression-ignitionengine arranged to drive =a load of .high inertia, showing the npplieation of this invention thereto; I I

- Fig B; iszsn enlarged section taken subston'' i i mn l f Qt sI provision is mode'to-reshown);v

systemitakenonline- Hp'of Fig. ,2;

; Reierringto the drawi tflt in is s own in: air

craft engine of thewell-known radial'type hav ing a1 I on which is mounteda number of radially disposed cylinder-stone of which I is: shown. atoll; Each; otthe cylinders is fpro-, vided'withnn integr'aLhead i3 havinga combined sir I inlet exhaust port H =which'1is controlled byfl a; Valvei lfil=sndxadaptedtc be open intimed relation to the engine by an-suitable; operating mechanism not-shown, inkdctail; which may b driven from theenginecrankshsft or other-movi- ,ingengine partsyin the usual way; A fuelinozzle V llycommunicates with, the interior; of each Cy]:

inder andjwith a, suitable-pump ll whichisdriven: g

from there'nginefin'timed re1etion;thereto; there I I being! nozzle and pump*i'or' -eaoh of theengine' I I cylinders. 'I'he pum erstestto' inject smeasured; charge of; ,liquid fuel: into the 5 cylinders ,at the proper time; in the cycle thereoI; asis well understood in the 'e'rtwto which-this invention relatesn v prises the engine 'rcrank shaft and :the; elements associated therewithiincludingthecrank, the'con nectingg and link nnd'their hub}, and the The crank oftliis} invention'coni- I crank shaft supports andidrives the engineloads which may comprise an I aircraft propeller no't ,J'I'he crankalignedportionI2,kjournnled inthebearing .28 is I providedwithan" integral crank j arm 29, secured -to ,the crank pin'jin anysuitable manner as'by a and the pinlfi, forming the crank portion of the shaft [9. Journsled on-thecrank pin 25 through moster connectingirod 36; the other: end of which is connected toafpiston 31" int'one of thejen'gine cylindersirvSimilar,pistons- Quit shown) in the shsftiiasals'o comprises-an integral a crank-iarmllirwithscrank pin 26 thereon;

-key,3l ands elamp bolt 32,.the arms 24 'and 29 ,asuitablebushing-33 issthe'hubiportion 34: of'a 'f other cylinders. ofthe engine areconnected' by means :of link rods such as 38'to link pins such as 39,pivotolly mounted in the hub portion 134 and arrangedt in :-circiilari spaced relation "therein ed in the extension and on which the member is journaled as by bushings 46. The pins 44 may be secured to the extensions 42 by any'convenient means such as a locking pin 41 and they may be lubricated through conduits "48. which communie cate with the engine lubricating "system (not shown).

The counterweights 4| arre -necessary to bring the large off-center masses into staticlcalancev about the crank shaft axis, but it will be evident that their mass is responsible for-a large part of the inertia of the crank shaft system which'must be overcome in accelerating the crank shaft, and that thehigh acceleration given to these masses by piston thrust at the high pressure moment of ignition would cause tremendous stress in the crank shaft According to the present invention, these members are resiliently. connected to the crank arm extensions so that they may yield a considerable extent and thereby cushion the'piston thrust and the resulting applied torque and hence materially lower attendant stresses. To this end, each of the weights is provided'with diagonally extendin'gbores 49 which extend sub stantially parallel to its arcuate face inte communication with the slot 43 at an acute angle relative thereto. The outer ends of these bores are closed by adjustable threaded plugs 5| having inwardly disposed guide extensions 52, which serve as abutments for stiff 'compression'springs 53' of considerable length. The inner ends of the springs are-seated in recesses '54 formed in the crank arm extension 42 which align with the bores 49, and they bear with'equal force on this extension and it will be evident-that the counter.- weight is thereby being continually urged toward its normal-or neutral position with respect'to the crank arm. Under the sudden-impact caused by explosion pressures in the'engine cylinders, one of the springs 53 will yield'to permit each of the counterweights to move slightly on its pivot pin 44. Because of this construction, a large portion of the mass of the shaft assembly 'is coupled through resilient. means which yields under the sudden torque at the time of ignition, absorbing.

or storing a part of the energy and permitting'the inertia to be overcome more'gradually and-the mass less suddenly accelerated. Suchlastic cushioning of the shock forces applied to the crank shaft greatly reduces the stresses-that would otherwise occur in that member. 1 After the moment of peak pressure has passed, a part of the energy which was absorbedor stored in compressing the-springs '53 is returned to the crank shaft. system through the-reaction 'ofthe springs which, at the same time, restores the counterweightto its neutral position with respect to the arm 42.- v

It will be evident that this invention provides for the introduction into the crank shaft system of considerable resilience, representedby the springs 53. This resilience permits the coun-- terweights, which represent a large portion of the mass of the system, to lag behindthe crank shaft at the momentsof peak torque so thatthe acceleration thereof is slower, thus greatly reducing the inertia stresses which would otherwise be imposed upon the shaft. At the same time, such increase in the resilience of the system, as in any other vibratory system, lowers the positions in the engine speed range at which resonant vibrations occur.

vTo prevent the resonant growth of such vibrationsas may be induced in the crank shaft system by the forced'vibrations, the present invention proposes to provide adequate damping during the disturbance. Such damping is effected by mechanical friction in the pivotal mounting of the counterweights 4|, which mechanical friction'seryes to dissipate vibratory energy at a rate suflicient to prevent its growth through resonance. Thedam'ping of friction at the counterweight mounting occurs principally between the pin, 44 and its co-operating bearings, these being subjected to high pressures because of the centrifugal force acting on the weights, and to this friction may be added that produced by' the crank arm extension 42 being a'close fit in the slot 43 sothat the side faces of the extension are in'rubbing contact Withthe side walls of the slot. l

It will be noted that: the damping effect will continueas long as there 'is any relative movement between the counterweights and the. arm extensions,-such dampingextending through both the period in which energy is stored in the resilient members and the period of energy return. Because of the angular disposition of the recesses'.54 there is a larger crank shaft mass between theadjacent ends thereof than when arranged in alignment, and thus the crank shaft arm is materially strengthened. Such disposition of the. bores and recesses permits theuse of springs. having a maximum length and thus, due to increaseddeflection, more load can be taken thereby without breakage. This obtuse arrangement of the springs also makes the moment. arm between the end of the, springs and the pivot 44 a maximum length thereby providing for a maximum resistance to spring compression. It. will thus be seen that, in comparison with a. structure in which the springs are aligned, this angular arrangement of springs increases the crank shaft strength, increases the resistance to spring compression and increases the load which the springs can take.

The invention, therefore, provides a device for preventing the over-stressing or failure of the shafts'of engines of this type in'which extremely high stresses occur, and it permits the use of a light weight crank shaft adapted to safely carry the working stresses with a proper factor of safety. c v Although the invention has been described in connection with a specific embodiment, the principles involved are susceptible of numerous other .applicationswhich will readily occur to persons skilled in the art. The invention is therefore to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.

" What I claim is:

l. The combination with an engine crank shaft having a crank arm, of an integral extension in line with the crank arm, a counterweight having a slot adapted to receive the extension, pivot means for mounting said counterweight on said extension, and a coil spring extending diagonal ly' of each end of the counterweight with their axes substantially in thedirection of rotation,

a ooo sas one end, of saidsprings being stationary with the counterweight andthe other end .oi' said springs being stationary with the extension-..

2. The combination with an engine crank shaft having a crank arm, of an integral extension in line with the crank arm, a counterweightflon said extension, pivot means for mountingsaid counterweight on said extension, saidcounter-e weight and extension being formed to provide two bores extending in opposite directions and at an acute angle to the arm, and a coil spring in each bore, said springs being stationarily asline with the crankarm, a counterweighthaving a'slot adaptedto receive the extension: Divot means for mounting said counterweight onfsaid extension, and meansfincluding opposed coil 7 springs acting a between and to resist relative movement-oi the arm and counterweight, the

axes of said springs defining an obtuse angle.

HERBERT C. EDWARDS, 

